Thread: Are You a Home Haunter AND a Small Business Owner?

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We are Halloween Extremists. Every year we build a huge facade and an elaborate home-haunt for the TOTs that enters through the 3-car garage and exits through the front door. I'm not sure exactly how many visitors we get, but I know its in the hundreds, and possibly over a thousand.

We also have a small business (Party & Event Planning).

This year, we thought of a way to promote our business Halloween night. Besides stocking up on mini candy bars for our young hauntees, we're also putting together 50 or so "goodie bags" for the grown-ups. The bags will contain a premium candy (like one of those individually wrapped crunchy truffle thingys), an LED keychain light, our business card, and a refrigerator magnet calendar with our company logo & information on it.

Great idea. My girlfriend suggested this for me last year but it seemed like a lot of extra work. She will be pissed that you made it sound like more of a legitimate idea to me.

That's a great idea Scott. Considering what your business is, I would think you could tie the haunt to it another way as well. You could put up a banner or signs stating that the decorations were provided/done by your business (or signs that say "*haunt name* presented by *business name*"). That would give people a little taste of what you're capable of. That would also make it an advertising event for the business and the whole thing should be tax deductable.

Awesome idea....I would boost that number up to at least 100 if you get that many people at your house. You figure there will be at least 100 adults.

I was approached by a event planner to help her do a haunted house party. Have you tried promoting yourself as a haunted house party for little kids or any age for that matter. My offer was quite lucrative I just didn't have the time required. I thought about doing this myself, in my area there is a demand for it. You could also approach schools and split the revenue. Plus you get free actors and help.

-PB

Originally Posted by propboy

I was approached by a event planner to help her do a haunted house party. Have you tried promoting yourself as a haunted house party for little kids or any age for that matter. My offer was quite lucrative I just didn't have the time required. I thought about doing this myself, in my area there is a demand for it. You could also approach schools and split the revenue. Plus you get free actors and help.

-PB

Yes, we have thought of doing that, but we know we would not be able to deliver 100% to a client during that time of the year. The wedding we had last year (at our house on Halloween night) was different because almost all of the work was already done, since it was our house. The rest was done in the days between our party (the Saturday before Halloween) and Halloween night.

And as for the rest of the year, well, except for the folks who hang around this place, who would want a haunted house party in May?

ahahah true no haunted houses in may. We were approached for the 1st weekend of OCT.

I am able to and have the manning to do a few parties if I wanted to and still get ours up for Halloween.

If you did just the 1st few weeks the money you made can go towards props that you could use just for your House party haunts not effecting your yard haunt

-PB

I am a small business owner and I might use this idea this year.

I am also a small business owner, but I don't think it would be well received to advertise my business by giving the ToTs anything related to the business. I own a liquor store and liquor and children do not go together.

However the home haunt is well received and most of our customers bring their children to the house for Halloween.

Sounds like a great idea.
Could you print the email info and logo on the bag too?
Might be a good"catch their eye" kinda thing